Priceless
by cheesethemac
Summary: Hey everybody! This is my first fic ever (!) and it is in response to a recent hilarious post from Aliyah O'brien on instagram. I love Gail and Holly together and have been wanting to write a fic for a while. This is mostly set in season 4 before the angst and drama of the ensuing seasons. Just some fun. Hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

Gail refused to admit that she was excited for this trip. She refused to think about spending all her time with a certain someone. She refused to let her mind wander in and out of the possibilities of sharing a room with that tall toned body…

NO! She squashed the butterflies that started fluttering in her lower abdomen. This was just a _business_ trip that just _happened_ to include a certain forensic pathologist that just _happened_ to be the object of her recent affection and not quite pg-13 daydreams. Get it together Peck. It's just a trip with your best friend (who you may or may not be in love with). Last week she learned that she had been assigned to attend a conference in California and to her delight and dismay she was paired with Holly as the medical expert. Ever since that wedding Gail's feelings for her friend had transformed numerous times and she has finally accepted that this was more than just a girl crush. Buuuuuuut this was a work trip and though there have been clues that her feelings are reciprocated (a hand on the small of her back that lingers just a bit too long, that quizzical smirk when Gail is caught staring too long, etc.) this trip was not the time or place. A girl can dream though.

Oh well, free trip to California, San Francisco to be exact. Gail took comfort in the fact that although California might conjure images of Holly in a bikini laying on a sandy beach basking in the sun…(ahem), San Francisco was more than likely going to offer outstanding views, amazing food, cool bars, and many layers of clothing to follow the many stages of fog and chill that the Bay was notorious for. The short staccato of a car horn snapped Gail out of her brooding and she grabs her suitcase and runs out.

Holly had offered to drive them to the airport and of course she was right on time. Gail threw her carry-on into the open trunk and hopped into the car. She was immediately graced with that gorgeous half smile and those warm inviting eyes, "Hey".

"Hey yourself" Gail responded with a very non-Gail smile and a quick but genuine hug. "Thanks for picking me up".

"Anytime" that half smile again that Gail couldn't seem to get enough of. This was going to be a long weekend.

When they get to the airport Holly is still babbling about how excited she is to hang out in San Francisco and describing all the things she planned for their free time. The conference will be taking up quite a bit of time but since their schedules lined up they decided to take an extra day and explore the city. The week before Holly did extensive research on the city (of course). She read yelp menus online before bed and searched the best bars and hikes. Gail just stood by and drank wine, ate Chinese takeout and watched whatever movie they had rented all the while stealing glances at Holly to admire how cute she was nerding out over travel guides. A few times she was definitely caught staring but turned quickly to play it off. She could feel that Holly smile anyway.

Holly is still talking adamantly as they are walking through security. When suddenly the guard manning the x-ray machine stops them, "Is this your bag ma'am"?

Holly looks around her like she can't believe the man is talking to her. Gail stifles a giggle at the confused look on Holly's face. "Don't worry nerd, there's probably just something electronic that the x-ray can't figure out"

She and Holly walk over to the table while the guard brings the offending carryon over. He proceeds to open it up and take things out. Gail makes some joke about Holly leaving her nerdy lunchbox in there when the guard pulls out a microphone. He asks Holly about it and she explains that it's for the seminar so she can record the lectures with better quality sound. He looks it over and seems satisfied and continues to look though her things. As Gail glances at her watch to see how they are on time she hears a small gasp and a quiet "oh my god".

Gail looks at Holly and notices that the woman has worked up a deep blush. Confused, Gail looks at what Holly is staring at wide-eyed. What she sees is an object that nearly stops her heart, and does something to those butterflies that have been keeping a low profile in her abdomen since the morning. There in the guard's gloved hands is a teal rubber vibrator. Gail is suddenly flooded with images of Holly in the midst of several stages of ecstasy all at her own hands and that small helpful toy.

"Ahem" with a small smile the guard gets the attention of the both women who are blushing furiously, Holly because of getting caught and Gail because of the thoughts in her head.

Holly gains her composure first. "Well do you need me to explain that to you too?"

The guard smiles and says, "No ma'am" he packs everything up, "you are free to go. Have a nice day".

Gail turns to look at Holly with one impeccable eyebrow raised. Holly looks at her sheepishly, clearly still embarrassed.

Trying to break up the awkwardness Gail quips, "I can see the headlines now. 'Vibrator takes down plane: Sex-crazed pathologist planned to get her freak on'"

They both dissolve into laughter and they walk towards their gate. The pair is still laughing as they take a seat in the terminal. "Shut up Gail! I always just pack it just in case".

"Just in case?! What, for the emergency orgasm?" Holly is still laughing but trying very hard to look mad. Gail decides to give her break and wrap up the jokes. "Ahhh just in case, I see, it's ok Holly. I know the thought of sharing a room with me for the weekend is tantalizing but come on, when were you planning on busting that thing out?!"

"It's ah, - it's waterproof"

"Oh" there it was. That little short circuit of her heart and the onslaught of images of Holly, in the shower, with that thing.

Both Holly and Gail are pretty quiet for the rest of the flight, but the side-glances don't go unnoticed by either of them. This really was going to be a long weekend.


	2. Chapter 2

**Quick Note: So first I wanted to say thanks for the nice reviews, I didn't realize I'd be so nervous about writing and publishing. It was really fun writing a fic and reading so many great stories about Gail and Holly inspired me. I didn't realize I had made this an ongoing story and wasn't exactly planning on continuing but I decided to try. This is a** ** _really short_** **update from Holly's POV and I just wanted to get something out there to show I'm going to work on making this a complete, multi-chapter story. Writing drama and angst intimidates me so this is still just fluffy fun. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy it.**

When Gail slept all the hard lines and icy features disappeared. It's as if the attitude and snark melted away and the vulnerable Gail remained. Holly had seen it often when Gail crashed on her couch to "get away from the frat house" which translated to "I'm lonely", when she picked her up from the hospital and the effects of oxy and Andy's betrayal still lingered in her system and now when Gail snoozed on her shoulder on their way to San Francisco. Holly didn't even care that there was just the slightest bit of drool traced on her shoulder. She loved seeing Gail like this. Not that she didn't love badass, Snarkmaster Flex because, oh she did. Those icy looks and one-liners Gail delivered moved things from the waist down (knees included) in ways that she just can't or won't process right now.

So instead of processing, which for Holly is actually hard not to do, she decides to enjoy the moment of Gail comfortably resting on her shoulder. She thinks back to the last few weeks and how things in their relationship have definitely changed. That kiss at the wedding was a "you are so freaking cute and weird that I need to kiss you real quick" kind of kiss. It wasn't meant to be a "Haaaaay straight girl, try this on for size" kiss. However after that kiss Holly knew she would never ever _ever_ turn down a chance to kiss Gail Peck again. It was brief, but soft and somehow dripping with passion and that pouty lip just made Holly…Stop. Processing.

Ok so maybe she was not so good at not processing. But dayum! When Gail Peck is in your life and seems to be staring and touching and licking her lips a lot more than usual it is hard not to process. Plus, the whole vibrator thing. She can't believe she forgot she packed that! She definitely should have checked her bag. The look on Gail's face was priceless, however. Before Gail recovered Holly saw that blush and is definitely curious as to what Gail might have been thinking about. Holly groaned out loud thinking about it herself and the blond head on her shoulder stirred.

When those blue eyes found hers Holly's smile automatically clicked on, as it always did when she saw Gail.

Gail smiled and still resting on Holly's shoulder greeted her human pillow "Hey".

Hey" Holly smiled back.

Gail took this time to stretch and work out the kinks in her muscles. A lot of that stretching pulled her body across Holly's in the cramped airplane space. When Gail was done with her best feline impression she looked at Holly again. With all her years of school and tests and learning only Gail could cause Holly's brain to stop working with such impunity. With her brain overloaded and short-circuiting the only thing she could think to say was "Hey".

"You already said that nerd" Gail with a small knowing smile.

"You know, it sounded familiar" Holly replied again incapable of doing anything but smile right back at Gail.

"Hey Holly" Gail suddenly turned to the other woman looking very serious. Holly's smile turned into a worried frown. Gail's eyes glance around conspiratorially and in a whisper, "I hope you didn't take your special friend into the bathroom with you while I was sleeping. You can't technically be a member of the Mile High Club if you're by yourself".

Those beautifully manicured eyebrows that were wagging animatedly suddenly got a face full of AirCanada's best pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok so here is one more quick update because I'm going on vacation tomorrow and won't be able to update for a bit. Sorry if the story is not really going anywhere. I don't necessarily have a plan. I just like happy Gail and Holly. Also side note BART is the underground rail system in SF, which actually sucks. But hey it works…kinda.**

After figuring out the BART system to get downtown, walking five blocks with luggage to the hotel and finally checking in, Gail and Holly flopped on the beds as soon the room door closed.

"That was exhausting, sorry", said the pathologist. Holly had planned to take public transit because she said that they should be green and taking public transit and walking was the best way to learn more about a new city. How cute and adorable and irritating is that? Gail of course said yeah lets do it but not without an acceptable amount of complaining and whining.

"It's ok Holly, you're just lucky you're with a badass cop. Those five blocks were a little sketch."

Holly turns so she's facing Gail on the opposite bed and smiles warmly "I knew you'd protect me. You don't have your gun but those boots are probably enough."

"Yeah, yeah, what you should be more worried about is the fact you made me exercise" Gail pulls a face that can only be interpreted as utter disgust. "But it's ok I still love you. You know people have died for far less."

The jab was meant to be playful but somehow throwing around words like love to someone she's crushing on (re: wants to make nerd babies with) made Gail tense up and suddenly have a hard time making contact with Holly's eyes. Looking for an escape she declares, "ok nerd lets get a drink!"

"Gail we have to be up early tomorrow for the first lecture!"

"Boooooooring. Besides I said _a_ drink, not "Shots shots shots shots shots shots! Errybody!" Gail dances around the room as she sings, gives her a grin and pops out the door.

Generally Holly likes to open everything up in her luggage, line up all her outfits and cosmetics etc etc. Once again Gail was more enticing than routine. So she smiles, grabs a room key that Gail definitely forgot and follows her insane friend out the door.

Down at the bar Holly found Gail already sitting at a cozy side table with two glasses of Holly's favorite red and gracing her with a dazzling smile that Holly was starting to feel was only reserved for her. The sight made her breath catch for just a second because it was the moments like these that Holly could see more than just friendship and it was moments like these that scared her to death because she didn't want to lose Gail, friendship or otherwise. As weird as that cat in a tree speech was, Holly certainly didn't want to be the one to test the theory.

"Hey there officer, is this drink for me?" Holly asks not totally flirting but actually, yeah, totally flirting. Flirting is fun.

"Why yes ma'am. I'm a very classy person who orders classy wine for her extremely classy _doctor_ friend. And if you are wondering; no, I did not take a shot of tequila before you got here."

Holly gives her the teacher look over her glasses.

"Ugh ok, by not taking a shot I meant I took two. It has been a day!"

Grinning Holly agrees "Ah yes it's been a long day but if I recall you slept on my shoulder for most of that 6 hour flight '

Blushing slightly and looking down at her wine Gail concedes and raises her glass. "To an amazing and hopefully not mind numbingly boring weekend in San Francisco where Holly can learn stuff, I can copy her notes, and Doctor Stewart can let her freak flag fly!"

A laugh and a cheers "Again with the vibrator Gail?!"

"You know I can't let that go Holly. This one is going to be around for a while"

"So you're telling me that you don't have one?" Holly looked at her with disbelief.

"No I am definitely not saying that. I have one I just don't pack it in my carry on luggage! It has a nice home in my bedside drawer."

Putting aside thoughts of Gail and what might be in her bedside drawer, "Well if you traveled as much as I used to and if you've had as little sex I have had for the past two years you'd pack one too" Holly took a sip of her wine.

Gail nearly choked on her last sip at that statement. " _Two years_ Holly?! I knew you were going through a dry spell but damn nerd, that's bad" Gail looks at her quizzically over her wine glass. "Why haven't you just found some hot lady to, you know, take the place of the vibrator for a night and then send them on their way. It's not like you can't pull hot chicks Holly, I hope you know that"

Holly laughed at Gail's straightforward yet somehow really sweet comments. "I don't know, that whole one night stand thing is really just not me, although I appreciate the vote of confidence." Those blue eyes give her a wink and it makes Holly lose her train of thought. The train actually derails off a bridge into an icy river. "Uhm I mean it's - Its not terrible. You know it's just with a bad break up, a ton of work and moving around it just never occurred to me to go get some random hook up. Besides. I've got Carlos"

"What?" Gail asks low and slow and emphasizes that T sound.

" _Carlos_ " Holly smiles mischievously over her wine glass as she says the name with her best Spanish accent which interestingly enough suddenly makes Gail shift uncomfortably in her seat.

Gail leans in, looks at Holly intensely, and points to her across the table. "Holly. Please don't tell me that you have named your vibrator Carlos."

"What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that!? Oh I don't know…"

"A. You're a lesbian." One finger.

"2. Who names a vibrator anyway" Two fingers.

"And- and D. You're a lesbian!" Three fingers.

"Gail I don't think that guy over there knows that I'm a lesbian yet." Holly laughs warmly at Gail as she starts to pout. "It's just a name Gail, a name for rubber and plastic and batteries. Would you feel better if I changed it to Carla?

"Yes"

"Too bad. I think me and Carlos really have a good thing going." Holly smiles wickedly and Gail pouts even more.

"Fine. But you're having one more glass of wine with me."

Holly nods and gives Gail her win. As she watches Gail walk away towards the bar Holly knows she would never turn down that second drink with Gail. No matter how early she has to wake up the next morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ugh. Sorry for the delay. I went on vacation. Summer is over so I now have a job that I have to show up to. Writers block. All of the above. You know, I've never been on this side of the story. I have a lot of respect for all you writers. This is hard! I will try hard to complete the story in a timely manner. Probably one or two more chapters. Again, all fluff no fuss :)**

Gail woke to the sounds of Holly blow-drying her hair in the bathroom. Stretching out across the hotel queen she thought about the night before and how much fun she always had when she was with Holly. She loved their time together even on nights when they did nothing but lounge and chat, which Gail usually hated with a fiery passion. Andy, Traci and Chloe (yikes!) were always trying to drag her to girl's nights where they drank wine and bitched about this guy and gushed about that guy. It was all just so tedious and cliché. They might as well all put on kitten pajamas, listen to Taylor Swift and have pillow fights (T. Swift and kitten pajamas actually sounds like a pretty awesome night but Gail would never admit that to anyone). Just like everything else lately, Gail was finding that with Holly, things were different. Everything they talked about was cool and interesting, or nerdy and interesting, or funny and interesting. Sometimes it made Gail worry that she wasn't interesting or smart enough for the amazingness that is Holly, but in the end she always brushed that off because you just couldn't deny the chemistry between them. Holly and Gail always were entertained, no matter who or what was going on around them. Holly and Gail. Golly? Hail? Hail Golly? She was in deep.

"Good morning sunshine" Gail opened her eyes to see a radiant smile from the brunette, head half cocked, hair falling to the side. As Gail was stretching she eventually contoured herself into a position where her body sprawled cross the bed and her head hung upside down off the side. Upside down Holly was just as beautiful. She was beautiful, and it was all she could do not to think about what was under the robe she was wearing.

"Hey" A soft smile, "how long have you been up?" Gail asked as she sat up.

"Oh you know, since the first time you _punched_ the snooze button" Holly quipped with a grin. "I really feel sorry for whoever has to wake you up".

"Many have tried Hols, all have failed" Gail walked to the bathroom to get ready as Holly laughed. Closing the door she just caught the robe slipping down and a glimpse of a tanned toned back, evidence that the robe was concealing something Gail definitely wanted. 

Holly waited in the lobby as Gail finished getting ready. She knew better than to wake the cop up, even if meant they might be late. Yet somehow, despite how late Gail slept in, just a minute later there she was strutting through the lobby, oozing swagger and confidence and giving Holly a mini stroke as she let her eyes run down that body.

Shaking it off before she was caught staring too long, she wondered how Gail had such a profound affect on her with out ever really trying. Gail had just essentially rolled out of bed, pulled her platinum locks into a tight ponytail and dressed in her signature ass kicking boots, tight jeans, and a sweater. Yet here was Holly struggling to keep her cool.

Holly certainly looked more professional and not too shabby herself. She even thought she caught an appreciative look from Gail, but she knew that someone had to be professional in this conference because she had a feeling Gail was not going to be the model student.

As the pair made their way to the first presentations, Holly was talking animatedly about Dr Stein and the new forensic techniques for testing and preserving fungi specimens, and something about spore counts that Gail couldn't quite understand, but she was excited too, mostly because Holly was with her. Not to mention what the impossibly long legs made longer in tight slacks and dangerous heels did to her. Holly's button up was also strategically buttoned (and unbuttoned). Not that Gail noticed at all.

Finding some seats, Gail lounged back putting her feet on the chair in front of her and staring down anyone who tried to sit in front of her. As Dr. Stein moved through the slides on forensic mycology (Yay! Gail learned a new word) she didn't take notes but she was listening intently despite her comfortable position. She was actually finding the parts she could understand really interesting. The applications of how studying fungus can be used to determine the post-mortem interval, the cause of death, and how valuable mycology evidence can be in different cases when presenting in court. Despite trying very hard not to drink the Peck Kool-Aid, Gail has been seriously considering making the move to detective. She knew that the more she learned, the more information she had in her arsenal, the better detective she would make. However, when the technical details rolled around Gail decided to lower her shades and discreetly nap while her favorite medical expert took care of the notes.

"Were you always like this in class?" Holly whispered, nudging Gail in the ribs.

"Ouch! I was until I had my coffee" Gail pouted. "Besides, I now know so much about forensic mycology I might need to help you out in the lab"

* * *

At the end of many more presentations and one awkwardly awful lobby meet and greet for conference participants later, Holly and Gail were ready to blow the nerd convention (Gail's words, not Holly's) and explore the city a bit. They decided to grab dinner at a little hole in the wall pizza place in North Beach. They drank wine, ate pizza that Gail was pleasantly surprised did things to her that only thoughts of Holly had been able to accomplish lately, and talked until they realized the poor waiters were putting chairs up subtly hinting that they had overstayed their welcome. Leaving a big tip and stumbling a little out of the restaurant, Holly and Gail decided to walk off the wine. The pair made their way up Union St, which quickly turned into a mountaineering expedition; SF not disappointing in its promise of impressive hills. It was a steep climb but since it was a little chilly, and she was a little tipsy, Gail didn't complain. Holly also promised that it would be worth it. Finally at the top, making their way down a dead end street between tall apartment buildings, a stunning scene of the bay shrouded in low lying fog and the dancing lights of the bay bridge came into view.

A clear night, a giant hill, and good company made this one of the top views on Gail's list. They sat on the wall to rest for a minute. Looking at Holly look out to the bay Gail felt warmth radiate through her body and smiled because that hike was definitely worth it. Gail, still staring and without thinking, tucked a brunette strand behind the other woman's ear. Holly turned to look at her, a questioning twinkle in her eyes. Gail held the look and for a minute they just stared at each other. Holly smiled and finally broke the gaze, looking down at her lap with an unnoticeable blush warming her cheeks. Gail smiled back and they quietly walked back to the hotel. Gail doesn't know what changed or why she suddenly felt so sure and confident, but she knew that she had to do something about what she was feeling.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Heellllooo. So I have put aside some actual work that I need to do tonight to finish this because it's been taking me forever :/ Again thank you everyone for all the reviews it is much appreciated. Sorry my chapters are so short, that just seems to be my creative limit when I sit down to write. Also I do edit and reread a hundred times but of course I still always see a bunch of mistakes. All mistakes are mine and I apologize in advance! Again, thanks for all the review and for reading :)**

The next morning Holly woke up with a smile on her face. That stupid smile that Gail always put there, but of course the smile came with strings attached. Holly just couldn't seem to let go of the worry and insecurity. Last night felt different though. The amazing view, her proximity to Gail as the sat on the ledge, and the sense of being happy made her feel full and complete. It also seemed as if Gail _looked_ at her differently. She wanted so badly to kiss the other woman, to make her feel worshiped at that moment but she couldn't shake the fear of scaring Gail off or losing their friendship. That insane, snarky blond meant too much to her to risk it. But wouldn't the risk be worth it if they found each other?

Groaning she turned to her side and was surprised to see Gail staring at her. Holly was slightly taken aback at how deep blue her eyes were, how intensely those steely eyes were looking at her. Gail was beautiful and Holly was doomed.

"Hey creepy" Holly said sweetly brushing off her surprise with a smile. "Whatcha looking at?"

"Oh nothing, I just had the most amazing dream and for some reason it reminded me of you"

"Oh yeah what was it about?" If Gail's dream was anything like the r-rated dreams that have been haunting Holly featuring a familiar blonde, this would be interesting.

Gail fell back on to the bed so she was facing the ceiling, arms behind her head, she closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "It was so amazing Holly" Gail spoke softly and with such reverence it made Holly feel as if she was hearing something she wasn't supposed to be privy to, but she let the blonde continue. "It was like one of those dream sequences you see in a movie, everything is a little surreal and foggy except where you know you need to go. So I was walking up this giant hill, and I was really pissed because exercise: ew" Holly laughed and Gail gave her the eye but continued on. "Anyway, I was finally close to the top and for some reason I knew something good was waiting up there for me, like something _really_ good. I had no idea what but I just had this feeling and all I could focus on was taking what was mine" Holly couldn't help but feel a little something at the way Gail was telling her the story. Gail's voice was low and a little husky and Holly was only human after all. "I got so excited I started to run. I ran Holly! I mean shit, I didn't know I was one of those people that just could run places but I guess I am actually an athlete. Who knew?"

"You were just dreaming Gail, you can't call yourself a runner based on one dream!" Holly laughed at her ridiculous friend.

"Whatever nerd. Do you want to hear the rest of my dream or what?" Holly nodded and used her hand to zip her lip. "Ok so I was booking it up that hill and finally I reached the top and I knew it was all over because and I had the most beautiful, mind-blowing, sheet clenching experience I've ever had" Holly could barely keep herself together, trying desperately to push down the heat that Gail's words were stoking, praying to whatever deity that the blush she felt in her chest hadn't crept up into her neck. The breathy way Gail was describing her dream, insert tiny moan here, long sigh there, was making Holly squirm. "…most amazing pizza I have ever eaten."

Holly must have zoned out and missed a chunk of what Gail was saying but for a second she was really confused and couldn't understand where the pizza fit in.

Holly needed a moment to tell her brain to stop picturing Gail in compromising situations, but she finally was able to make the connection to what Gail was actually saying. "Gail, are you telling me you had a sex dream about pizza?! And how in the hell did this dream remind you of me" Holly was _very_ curious about that last part.

"Holly you don't understand, it was the _best_ pizza I had ever had. And duh, we had pizza last night, so yeah, reminded me of you". Gail's eyes were dead serious but Holly could see small twitch at the corners of her mouth. Gail did this on purpose; she knew exactly what she was doing. As realization finally came over Holly's face Gail's smile grew into an evil grin.

"Wow Gail, I know you like pizza but if this was an orgasmic experience maybe you need Carlos more than me!"

"No I just love food, and I have yet to find someone to make me feel the way pizza does" with a wink Gail was walking to the bathroom.

Holly flopped back down to the bed and sighed deeply "if only I could show you Gail".

The pair got ready and headed out to conquer the day's agenda. Holly went to the presentations that were more geared towards forensic pathology and Gail went to learn about chain of custody, preserving scenes etc. Nothing too interesting and Gail wasn't happy about being separated from Holly. However, it did give her a chance to openly daydream about her nerd. It felt as if everything in their friendship had been leading up to this. At first Gail had been surprised and confused at her developing feelings. She couldn't understand how these kinds of intense feelings could appear out of nowhere. With Chris, Nick, and others she had never had these instant connections. Her relationships always started with convenience on her part or theirs and they eventually grew into caring relationships…kind of. But nothing like this instant jolt that Holly seemed to create. If she was really being honest with herself Holly was never going to be just a friend. The day she met her she felt that spark and the wedding kiss just brought everything to the forefront of her mind. Holly didn't shy away from Gail's straightforward and blunt way of talking, in fact she gave it right back, but without the vindictiveness or defensiveness that other spat back. Just her smile that started on one side of her mouth and spread to light up the rest of her face. Gail hadn't even really been that worried about the fact that Holly was a woman. Even before Holly, Gail was starting to understand that her insecurities in relationships stemmed from something missing. She thought she knew what she wanted with Chris and Nick, but she was hiding behind what she thought she was supposed to do. Of course she cared about them, it hurt to hurt them and it hurt when Nick left her, twice. But she knew she drove them away because she wasn't comfortable with herself. She never has been, always hiding behind the high Peck standards, the snark, the thin relationship with her mom. When she met that quirky pathologist on the very first day she felt comfortable, like she found the something that had been missing all along. Bottom line was Holly made Gail feel like Gail. No one had ever been able to accomplish that before.

As her feelings for Holly became more and more intense Gail wasn't immune to the patented Gail freak-out. She started to feel like that stupid cat in the tree. Always ready to run away right when the ladder got there, but the more she reflected on it the more she knew she didn't want to. She wanted to keep this feeling with Holly as long as possible. Gail feels like a weight has been lifted off with these revelations. Everything felt so much less complicated. The only thing that annoyed Gail is that she has wasted so much time with Holly, last night had been amazing, perfect even. She missed that opportunity but not again. Everyone deserved to be happy, even Gail.

Gail and Holly agreed to meet in the lobby after their respective schedules came to an end. Gail had been waiting for about five minutes before Holly came striding towards her. Holly, ever the professional, was dressed to perfection, her blouse buttons again doing things to drive Gail crazy.

"Hey nerd how was nerding out in Nerdsville with your fellow Dr. Nerds?" Gail asked with a cute smile.

"Very clever Gail, I think you missed your true calling. Your way with words rivals even the most renown poets".

Gail narrowed her eyes to show hurt but of course couldn't help the smile proved other wise.

"Lets eat!"

"Of course" Holly smirked at Gail's voracious appetite and followed her friend out the door. "So I have a couple options for dinner that I bookmarked on yelp, but I'm not really sure which one is best. I wanted to go somewhere you know, _San Francisco-y,_ but I also wanted to avoid anything too touristy, because I'd like to get the real experience with out the crowds. So yeah, I don't know. There are also a couple places where we could grab drinks. I guess it just depends what we're in the mood for. We could go dive bar hopping down in mission or find some of those hipster mixologist bars, and there's always swanky lounges or some cool game room bars…" Holly finally took a break from her nonstop rambling to take a breath and notice that the cop was already half way up the block and still walking. "Wait…sorry, where are you going?"

"Hustle Nerd! I've got plans and your slow ass is lagging behind!" Gail yelled over her shoulder with a wave.

When Holly was still standing slightly bewildered Gail turned around. "Come on Hols. I didn't want you to do all the work planning so I took the liberty of figuring out what we were doing tonight" Gail gave Holly a smile and held out her hand.

Holly was still taken aback that Gail had taken control. On this trip and really throughout their friendship Gail had always left it up to Holly to plan what they would do. Not that Holly minded, she loved thinking of fun things to do, but Gail was so confident and sure right now she couldn't help but squee a little bit on the inside about how cute her favorite officer was being. So she grabbed Gail's hand and let the blonde pull her the rest of the way up the ridiculously steep hill.

"Soooooo, where are we going?" Holly asked as they sat on the train en route to their next stop.

"Don't worry about it nerd, I got this" Gail said confidently, "you just need to hang out and enjoy the ride" Holly had a feeling that she would.

They headed towards the outskirts of the city to a small more residential neighborhood. Gail made Holly wait for her while she ran into a side market and when she walked out Holly greeted her with a questioning raised eyebrow but Gail just smiled and kept walking. They arrived at restaurant that Gail had picked out. She led Holly down a narrow alleyway between buildings that led to a charming outdoor patio, succulents and foliage planted around the perimeter and on high shelves, and crisscrossed with little porch lights that blinked on as the sun started to set. There were many diners already packed onto the small patio, moms and dads with babies, dads and dads with dogs and babies, and young 20 somethings on first or second dates. The wind had died down so it felt comfortable and it made a little pocket oasis out of this tiny patio in a busy city. Gail and Holly sat for a long time eating a great meal talking and laughing, and having a great time sampling the many beers on tap. Holly was just so comfortable and happy, like she belonged here, with Gail.

After dinner Gail led them two blocks _up another hill_ to an even hillier park. The hike to the radio tower at the top was steep but short and well worth it to see the setting sun on almost the whole of the city. These urban parks offered little pieces of paradise throughout the city and Holly wouldn't be satisfied with her life if she didn't get the chance to explore them all one day. Gail took a bottle out of her small side bag she was carrying and presented her prize that she had bought at the market earlier, a pint of a local brewers beer. Gail clamored on to a wide flat rock and pulled Holly up with her. The twosome sat there and drank as they watched the sunset cast pinks and oranges across the city and as dog owners watched over their bundles of energy.

They fell into a comfortable silence and Gail quickly slipped her hand through Holly's arm so they linked elbows and nonchalantly rested her head on the brunette's shoulder. Holly froze for a moment but Gail just rested and made herself comfortable. Holly's brain was moving a million miles a minute trying to process exactly what happened but eventually, she relaxed, and let herself just be comfortable.

After a few minutes, the sun was down and it was starting to get chilly so they walked down to grab some more drinks at a nearby bar. The music was perfect as Gail kept feeding the jukebox. Since it was a Sunday night it wasn't totally packed so Holly was able to continue beating the pants off Gail at pool. And to Holly's surprise there was no griping or pouting about losing. They were just having too much fun. Holly was glad they had nowhere to be tomorrow because she didn't want this night to end.

Gail was blissful. This night was going exactly as planned and everything seemed to be perfectly aligned. She was out with a gorgeous, funny, fun, and crazy smart woman yet Gail has been strangely confident up in this point, oozing swagger and just overall feeling great about her plan to woo Holly. However, now that the night was coming to a close, Gail was getting nervous, anticipating what she was going to do when the time was right. It was all she could to do to keep her hands from shaking. Holly might think that those short breaths were frustration from losing all those pool game (she'll have to get back at that nerd for beating her) but really she was trying to dissipate some of the nerves that seemed to be creeping up on her.

It was getting late and Gail and Holly made their way back to their hotel. It was a comfortable walk from the train stop to their hotel made a little more comfortable when Gail once again linked her arm with Holly's, pulling the doctor a little closer to her. Holly looked at her with a small smile, but took it in stride and kept walking. When they arrived at the hotel Gail was feeling like she was running out of time. She kept waiting for the right moments but then the right moments somehow kept slipping right past her.

The elevator ride to their floor was quiet and Gail was having a mini panic attack that she had missed her chance. She was still worrying at her bottom lip thinking furiously as they walked into the dim room they were sharing.

Holly stopped right past the door and softly "Gail…"

Gail turns around back to Holly "Yeah?"

"I had a really good time…" Holly smile, "it was a great night".

Gail took two more steps to narrow the gap between her and the girl she's been trying to impress all night. "Yeah, it really was. I'm glad you had a good time"

The closeness was overwhelming, and Gail knew she had to make her move. She searched Holly's face, her eyes moving from the brunette's mouth to her eyes and back to her mouth again. Gail moved in oh so softly and slowly and caught Holly's bottom lip. That bottom lip that has seemed to tease and taunt her for the past few weeks and she was finally taking what she wanted. It was soft and sweet and much too quickly Gail was pulling away, tugging slightly on her prize as she moved back. This felt just like the wedding kiss, Holly reflexively taking her top lip while Gail grabbed her bottom lip, except this time at the end of the kiss Holly was the one shocked and confused. She looked up at Holly, trying to read her expression. She saw uncertainty, but she also saw that quick dilation of her deep brown eyes, she could see that Holly wanted this too; she just wasn't quite sure why her favorite nerd was holding back. Gathering every last bit of courage and confidence she had, Gail went in again. Again she caught that full bottom lip and she knew it was the most amazing thing she has ever tasted or felt and she wanted so desperately for Holly to turn on that switch and react. God knows what she would do if Holly never responded, if somehow she had been reading all the signals wrong, if the single best kissing experience of her life to date ended in disaster. What felt like hours later but was probably only a half a second, she heard a sharp gasp from Holly, and felt Holly's tongue skim her lip, asking for more. A simultaneous hum from both women signaled their undoing, and Gail parted her lips and let Holly take what she wanted. If Gail died in that moment, it would be okay; kissing Holly was all she ever wanted to do for the rest of her life anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all! I'm sorry I've been so terrible at updating this story. Work has been crazy busy (le sigh) but the real issue has been me struggling with what to do with this chapter. Do I make it smutty? Can I even write smutty? Should it be implied smut? Should they talk a lot about how they feel and take it super slowly (the answer to that was no). Also all mistakes are mine (This chapter is mostly a mess and I'm kind of tired of reading and rereading messing with tenses and point of views). So this will probably be the last chapter with maybe a short epilogue. Thanks for all those that have read and reviewed. I still** ** _really_** **appreciate it!**

 **P.s. It is a little smutty.**

Holly's brain stopped working the moment Gail's lips touched hers. She instinctually responded but everything else was blank. The soft lips slowly pulled away and Gail was searching her eyes. Holly knew she should do something, say something but she was frozen. Gail moved in again and as the cop's lips met hers, her hands simultaneously moved up to cup Holly's face. It was as if that small touch restarted the synapses firing in Holly's brain. Suddenly all the desire and need for Gail she felt bubbled to the surface and she was finally able to react. With a small moan she skimmed the other woman's lips with her tongue and when Gail complied and parted her lips, Holly's tongue fought for control. The kiss turned from sweet and soft to raw, passionate and slightly sloppy in half a second and it was all Holly could do to not throw Gail on the bed immediately and have her way.

As the intensity of their kissing grew, Holly barely registered that Gail was pushing her backwards until her back hit the door. The brunette only broke contact enough for a small "oomph" but immediately found Gail's mouth again. The blonde molded the front of her body to Holly's so that they were impossibly close and her hands were everywhere; on Holly's face, skimming across her back, rising up her sides and playing underneath the hem of her shirt. Holly could feel a trail of fire everywhere Gail touched. When the cop's palm found the back wall and her thigh made contact with Holly's center she let out an involuntary moan, as her head fell back leaving her neck exposed. Gail took this opportunity to move down and place hot opened mouth kisses along bare the expanse of the pathologist's neck. Holly tried desperately to catch her breath. With a sigh she rasped, "Gail…"

"Mmmm?" Gail continued to kiss her way up from Holly's perfect collarbone towards her hammering pulse.

"Gail, this feels amazing, but hold on a sec…"

Gail took a break from her ministrations and placed soft kisses back up the doctor's neck until she placed one more chaste kiss on her lips and pulled back ever so slightly. Keeping her face as close as possible, she met those deep brown eyes with her now stormy dark blues. Holly gasped a little transparent desire she could see in Gail's eyes. "Hey", she whispered.

"Hey yourself" Gail whispered back.

"Listen Gail…, I, uh…we…" Holly was struggling to find something to say, she knew they should talk about this so that they were on the same page, so she could figure out what was going on, but Gail stopped her with an index finger across her lips.

"Holly, I like you. I like you a lot. Ever since that first day you came waltzing into my crime scene with your dorky lunchbox and that puffy jacket I knew you were different. You're smart, adorably nerdy, you make everything more fun and entertaining, and I love spending all of my time with you. You allow me to be me, which for most people is off putting, but when I'm me and you're you it just works. Not to mention that you're hot. Like hot in a sexy librarian kind of way, which seems to be my thing. Who knew!? Your ass wont quit, you have legs for days and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, I haven't been able to stop thinking about touching you, about kissing you. I love being friends with you, but as much as I love it I want more. This is not some drunken experiment, this is not a rebound, and this is not a curious straight girl thing. This is I like you. I want you. I want to take you on dates, I want to make you swoon, and I want to charm your pants off. And I really really hope you want me too"

Gail had barely finished her sentence when Holly's lips crashed on to hers again. Gail walked backwards as she feverishly tried to keep up with Holly's mouth. She felt her knees hit the back of the bed and she let Holly push her down. Sitting up on her elbows to look at Holly, Gail tried to catch her breath, breathless partly because of her recent activity but also because of the gorgeous woman in front of her. Holly was looking at her with raw desire, but Gail could still see the anxiousness. She was biting her lip and breathing heavily, so Gail got up and sat on the edge of the bed. She pulled Holly between her legs and down for another kiss. It may have taken Gail a while to get to this point, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stop now. Holly bent her head and kissed Gail back, her long fingers moving to tangle in Gail's short messy hair.

"Gail, are you sure? We haven't even been on a date…"

"Holly, what the hell did you think we were doing all night?" Gail smirked as she asked.

Holly rolled her eyes but smiled and fell back into kissing Gail.

Gail felt like her body was about to combust and knew she needed more. "Take that off" Gail demanded as she moved back to settle on the pillows. She put her hands behind her head, nodded towards Holly and said again, "take your shirt off".

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be?" Holly asked with a small smile

"You're damn right" Gail smirked back.

Holly unbuttoned her blouse painfully slow and Gail would have complained but she couldn't take her eyes of the trail of skin the opening shirt revealed. Holly finally managed to throw her top behind her and crawled towards the pushy blond on the bed.

Looking at Holly, and her long, lean toned torso clad only in a bra crawling towards her made Gail confident that this was something she needed to make happen again.

As Holly moved towards Gail, she felt and saw her squirming uncomfortably underneath her. Gail's obvious arousal and heated gasps gave Holly a boost of confidence and she started to get some of that old swagger she used to have; the sexy confident Holly that made ladies swoon, before the breakups, the moves, and the new job. As she moved her way up Gail's body, she led with her hands making their way under Gail's shirt, loving the sound of Gail's hitched breath as she skimmed across sensitive spots. Holly's mouth followed her trailblazing hands with soft kisses and hot swipes of her tongue, and soon Gail's shirt was off and the cop was squirming beneath Holly. As she finally reached Gail's face a hand forcing her into Gail's hungry mouth again surprises her. They zealously fight for control as hands roam everywhere. Holly reaches around to unclasp Gail's bra and stops for a minute to admire Gail's perfect pale skin and in a moment she has her mouth to the blonde's perk nipple and the other woman arching beneath her. Hearing the blonde's small gasp "oh fuck…" and her moans nearly undid Holly right there but she was determined to touch and taste Gail everywhere. Moving to capture Gail's mouth again and positioning her thigh so she could feel the warmth radiating from Gail, Holly pushed her hips in and Gail obediently thrust back, trying to get more of that amazing friction. Holly reached down to the button on Gail's jeans, and undoing the button with one hand, her hand was quickly inside the jeans, pushing against Gail's core and Holly couldn't help moan that escaped at how wet and ready Gail was.

"Unnh, Holly, wait…"

Holly was out of Gail's pants and back up on her knees in a half second, hands up in the air like she was under arrest. "What!? Oh my god is this too fast? Did I just scare you? Gail we don't have to do this tonight, I'm so sorry! I just let my emotions…you know I've liked you for so long, and it's been so long since I've… should we stop? We should stop…"

"God no Holly…No! We should not stop!" Gail quickly tried to stop the rambling. "There is nothing I would rather be doing right now...but If you didn't stop, it was going to be all over for me very quickly and I wanted to make it last a little longer. Also I want your clothes off."

"Oh" Holly smiled a little sheepishly and said "Ok, but you are sure right?"

"If you ask me if I'm sure one more time I'm going to go get Carlos and finish this with out you." Gail had meant this as a joke but the heated look on Holly's face makes her mouth go dry. Gail clears her throat. "Umm…Maybe we can do that next time?" Gail asks, the husk back in her voice with the images of her and Holly and Carlos together.

Holly nodded quickly and moved to take off her bra. Once it was off Gail was back up off the bed to touch and adore Holly's breasts but she was pushed back down. Not getting her way immediately bringing a pout.

"Don't you pout at me darlin'. Let me do this then you can do whatever you want to me"

Gail gulped at the implications and nodded silently.

"Good, now take off your jeans"

Enjoying the bossy role, Holly watched Gail shimmy as ungracefully as possible out of her jeans. Taking just a moment to admire the flawless alabaster skin, Holly finally got down to business.

The brunette kissed Gail passionately and let her mouth continue its work down the slope of Gail's neck. Stopping to give attention to each perfect breast and then continuing on her journey south. Meanwhile Gail's moans, sighs, and groaned curses to the gods were encouraging signs.

Holly made her way down to the top of Gail panties, looking up to meet those gorgeous blue eyes looking down at her. With a wink she lapped at the burning skin right above her panty line and pushed up against the heat at the apex of Gail's thighs with her knuckles. Groaning, Gail's head fell back and Holly proceeded to strip off the last piece of clothing in her way.

Gail honestly wasn't sure how much more she could take. Even just the soft touches of the brunette's fingers were driving her crazy and sending waves of pleasure to her core. As Holly softly uses her tongue to tease at the insides of Gail's thighs, her fingers graze the soft wet folds making Gail involuntarily thrust and push her hips up, desperate to increase the pressure. Gail had never felt anything like this before and she needed to be as close as possible to the other woman. She lets out a strangled moan, "Holly please…". Holly complies and allows one finger slip inside Gail. Another plea from Gail and Holly inserts one more finger, encouraged by the movement of Gail's hips and the guttural sounds each thrust elicits. Holly matches Gail's rhythm and finally Holly's tongue finds the sensitive bundle of nerves and Gail comes undone. The pressure and tension building in her lower abdomen threatens to explode. With one hand gripping the sheets and the other tangled in Holly's hair, Gail finally falls over the edge, yelling out Holly's name as she rides out the best orgasm, hands down, that she has ever had. Holly continues to work her magic and Gail is helpless, riding out each aftershock, wave after a wave of pleasure. Finally she tugs at Holly's hair and the brunette makes her way back up, kissing Gail. Somehow Gail still manages to be turned on by the kiss, with the taste of Holly intermixed with the taste of her own sex making her want even more.

"Oh wow…" Gail manages to mutter breathlessly after a few minutes.

"Yup" Holly responds with a smile.

"Ok, nerd…" Gail gasps, "Are you good at everything you do!?"

Holly smiled wickedly, drawing circles on the blonde's torso. "Maybe… I guess we'll just have to try everything and find out"

"Alright. Deal. Now get that smile off your face, and take off the rest of your clothes. It's my turn"

Gail opens her eyes to the morning light cutting past the half opened curtains. For a minute she can't figure out where is was or why she's so damn comfortable. She **_always_** wakes up grumpy, no matter how well she sleeps. Turning around she is met by a warm, sleepy body next to her and she remembers why she is so happy. Gail, instantly assaulted with flashbacks to the previous hours spent in this bed not sleeping, can't help the flush that creeps up her neck and into her face. Holly stirs from Gail's movements and turns to face the woman whose limbs were tangled endlessly with hers. "Good morning beautiful, I didn't wake you did I? I really don't want to get punched like that alarm clock."

"Oh don't worry lunchbox," Gail punctuated each word with a small kiss on Holly's magnificently bare back. "You keep doing what you did last night, and you can wake me up anytime you want. Punch-free". Suddenly Gail was on her back and Holly's naked form was on top of her. Gail was starting to feel a little embarrassed at how easily her body reacted to Holly, but any concern soon disappeared with a moan the moment Holly's dexterous fingers were inside her. Best. Alarm clock. Ever.


End file.
